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"Since he was 14, Lachie has shown tremendous dedication to work on his left and right foot at every opportunity and his peripheral vision is unbelievable. He'd be streaming down the ground and see something and hit a target every time.

"Good luck if anyone wants to run with him."

Whitfield averaged 23 touches a game at the national carnival, earning a second All-Australian guernsey.

He will join five former Dandenong under-18 teammates at GWS, including Dylan Shiel and Adam Treloar.From Mt Martha Junior Football Club, the 18-year-old had Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd help improve his field kicking in the AIS-AFL program last year, and stacked on 7kg.

Wheeler said he was confident Whitfield would develop in the mould of Richmond star Trent Cotchin.

"He reminds me of Cotchin in a way because Cotchin is freakish by foot as well and they've got the same sort of workrate," Wheeler said.

"Cotchin has played a lot more inside, but Lachie will be a very good inside player. He can go in and win his own ball. A lot of people haven't seen that side of his game yet."

"But in two years' time I think he will become more of an inside player than an outside player."

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